Nonintermittent lamp base feeding mechanism



Dec. 29, 1953 J. BAIN, JR

NONINTERMITTENT LAMP BASE FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1950 Inven-kor James Bain Jr",

12% His Af't'orneg.

Dec. 29, 1953 J. BAIN, JR

NONINTERMITTENT LAMP BASE FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 22, 1950 72 i l w 7! 78 11 E l E Ck l f 74 74 ll a mu a; k Ni H k LLLJ Inven'kor: James Bain Jn, bgWc- His 'A't'fornea.

Patented Dec. 29, 1953 2 s4,1s NQNm -ER ITTE'NT LAMP BASE MEcnAMsM- James, 15am, 1:. "gene a s-B 299,

FEEDING aldobormglylaine, asslgnor to ge nn a fcer'n a e' vi t smal s December 22, 1950,, Serial No. 202,353

Most ofithe lamp making machinery which has been developed up to'the presenttime is of; the. indexing type wheiein'the manufacturing operations'are. performed upon the lamps at spacedv work stations fixed in -position. IIh'e lamp is ad-l vanced or indexed from one position torthe next by means .ofsuitable conveyor systems which operate in a series of intermittent'or discontinuous steps. Since'the product must necessarily be'temporarilystopped andlecated at; the work" station while. the manufacturing operation takes place, it necessarily followsithatthe operating speed of such indexing'machinery istlimited.

In my copending application; No; 202,351, filed December 22;" .1950, entitled j 'Nonintermittent LamptBase Filling Machine" and assignedtot'the same assignee asthe present applicationj'I have described and claim'e'd*a"machine CapplyingLthe principles of nonintermittent' or continuous action to the operation offilling a lamp base with 0 cement pastes The 'present"inve'ntibn is 'related to7it and is specificallyconcernedwith amech! anisin for 'feeding'la'm'p' ba'sesto the base hold, em carried by the miller-chain described inthat An object of the present invention is the pro-1 visioniof an automatic feedingmechanism for siipplyingi'simiiar' produotssuch as lamp bases; to suitable holders carried at a constant 'uninterq rupted velocity on a roller, chain;

Another'object of the 'inventionis to provide apparatus for feedinglamp bases with even dis-. tribution and'in a positive"predetermined:aligm ment toa pluralityloi'metering units andsuit abl 'for use inconjuncti'on with the feedingsof bases inn 'n'onintermittent conti uous action as s in nen meimiit nt on uo s a h tobaseholders carr don a roller chainf N For further objects and advantages and for a betternnderstand ing of the invention, attention is now directed to the following d scrip'nsnana accompanying drawings. Insfeaturesof the'invention believed to be novel will be more particue. any. wipe t n h m ssed lams:

Inthe drawings:

Fig. iis across-sectional View of, a screw base for a lamp, representative of a type predated-1 andsuitable "for continpousfn mg y t e .meli s s e h m E s -4 z s af p fied mcl f i v gram illustrati the v re-11 functioning or a roller ch ain and proclset' typan nmtermittem; base fi l ng machine as d cri e iidli jl d in mi; afore-m'entidned copeiiding application and making use, of the feeding mechanismbj "the msntlmvemim; as ,t

. F s-V scandal. are front. e evati nvie s o a base t holder 'cafrried bi the rou r chaininthe prese t n ention; rh jt yv ews Show these.- tailsof the lbas'e'holder ilfthe locked and unlocked pbsifidfist,respectwly; ,t a

I T' a a Plan new. h amp ba e feed n mechani m embo ying. th present 'inv'entio i and constituting a prt'io o ihicl iilt lamp b se filling machinejides ed'inj'the'afoi'e mentioned b nd eb li i l ,HTh' v w ta e the Section'linQI T IV with. resp ct" t' nia.

, Fig. 5 is. a cross- 'sectional elevatiOh View of the lamp base feeding mechanism taken along' "the section line VV with reference to'Fig. 4,

Y Figsl 6Z1, and 6b are side elevation and sectional views re p ct v l f e f he slid s f r feed ng the bases and illustrating certain features "d ts ribe l n' i s c fi ii While. the preisent inventicn may be utilized for feeding lamp bases or similar products to suitable ho qerspa ri d by a ro l c in i connec io h qth ylqon in ,u, fn nint rini nt 1 iiifa'ci ii epm e sestm pref rr d e 'fibb m'ent' which willbe described n1 detailih'i ein is Specifically designed to operate in cqnju tion'with'the' m nterm ttent lam ba a s i s ma h ne decr be n v my s qp ns s v: a p ica i A r m sthe r d t. nd the eperaii it d t9 nte orm d hereonlwhi h a e hi ly d c bed 'the c opending application, will besummarized briefly herein in order to facilitate spmiae snnsufg of the purpe e. a d inact o o t easemenan sm. i

.The winc es? $1. ma h n 0.: t pendi ns 3 application may be utilized to insert basing cement into cylindrical bases commonly utilized in the lamp making industry. A typical base is illustrated at I in Fig. 1. It is of the miniature screw or Edison type and comprises a thin-walled threaded hollow cylindrical metal shell 2 which is usually made of brass but which may also be made of aluminum or other suitable metal. The shell is slightly outwardly flared at 3 in order to receive a glass bulb for constituting a finished lamp, and has an opening at'its outer end which is closed by a web 4 of plastic insulating material.

such as glass or a thermosetting phenolic type of plastic. end of the web 4 is a contact eyelet 5 which provides one terminal of the lamp, the other terminal being provided bythe baseishell'itself. The plastic web 4 has a hole or perforation through its center for passing a lead wire ther'ethrough and making connection to the contact eyelet 6 in order to effect a circuit to the filament located in the bulb to which the base will be attached. The cross hatched area 1 represents cement paste annularly disposed within the periphery of the base shell for securely fixing the glass bulb to the base in the finished product constituting an electric lamp.

The specific purpose of the nonintermittent lamp base filling machine considered in the copending application is to receive the bases, as illustrated in Fig. 1 less the cement, and to dispose .an annular ring of cement within it as shown. The specific purpose of the lamp base feeding mechanism described in the present application is to feed empty bases, that is bases not containing the ring I of cement paste, in predetermined alignment to the base holders carried on the roller chain utilized in the copending application.

The lamp base filling machine described in the copending application automatically inserts the cement paste into the bases carried by the holders on the roller chain as they proceed'with constant uninterrupted velocity on their course through the machine, and it may achieve a production rate of 40,000 bases per hour. By comparison, the production rate'of intermittent or indexing machinery such as is provided by the prior art for filling lamp bases with cement, is approximately 4,000 bases per hour. It will thus be realized that the lamp base filling machine described in the copending application permits a remarkable increase in production. The specific problem which the mechanism embodying the present invention is designed to solve is that of feeding with positive alignment 40,000 bases per hour to base holders carried on a roller chain at a constant velocity past a feeding station, the feeding station being, in effect, a sprocket around which the chain is wrapped over a predetermined angle.

Referring to Fig. 2, a preferred arrangement of a complete lamp base filling machine embodying the base feeding mechanism of the present invention, along with the cement injecting apparatus of the copending application, may be understood by reference to the simplified schematic diagram illustrated therein. The arrangement comprises an articulated conveyor such as a roller chain on which are mounted suitable holders for retaining the product, that is, the lamp bases such as illustrated in Fig. 1. The chain is wrapped around and engages the teeth of a number of sprockets of which themajor sprockets II and I2 are of a larger size. These Mounted on a boss at the outer two major sprockets support the mechanical operators performing respectively the functions of feeding the bases to the holders carried by the chain, and of filling the bases with cement. The chain is arranged to be driven in such fashion that it moves directly from the feeding sprocket II to the cement filling sprocket l2, as indicated by the arrows. After leaving the filling sprocket, the chain passes around a driving or power input sprocket l3, and then a sprocket I4 which operates as a chute through which the lamps drop after being blown out of the holders by means of air nozzles mounted on an ejector sprocket l5. Sprocket l3 serves to keep the roller chain and associated mechanisms in movement and power may be supplied to it by any suitable means, such as, for instance, the input shaft of a worm gear reducer driven by a variable speed electric motor. The chute sprocket I4 is also adapted to exert a tension on the chain by means of a sliding mount and the spring l6 so that the chain may be kept taut at all times and sagging prevented. The figure also shows a fire bank at I! and various cam tracks at I8 and IQ, of which the latter will be considered in the present application.

Where the filling mechanism is designed to operate at a production rate of 40,000 bases per hour, the feeding mechanism must supply the same number of bases per hour to the holders base.

member 2| and a pair of curved jaws 22 and 23' on the chain. For the above-mentioned production rate, or more accurately, for a production of 43,200 bases per hour, twelve bases must be supplied per second and aligned in a definite arrangement so that they may be properly received and held by the base holders.

Referring to Fig. 3a, a suitable base holder 20 pivotally mounted for swivelling in a verticalplane. The jaws have intermeshing teeth portions at their lower ends which cause them to swivel oppositely to equal extents during actuation. One of the jaws, namely 22 in the drawing, is extended past the pivot point into a bell crank 24 for the purpose of operating the jaws.- bell crank has a roller 25 mounted at its end and adapted to bear against a suitable cam surface, such as the cam tracks l8 and IS in Fig. 2.

.1 The horizontal angle of the frame member 23 is secured in suitable fashion to a link in the chain, as by extensions of adjoining roller pins through the mounting holes 26. The base holder 20 is thus supported on the roller chain 10 in such fashion that the jaws pivot in a plane normal to the plane of the sprocket l2. A helical spring 21 exerts a tension between corresponding points on opposite jaws and holds them closed normally for securely gripping the lamp bases. The bases mayb released from the jaws byopcrating the bellcrank 24 by providing a suitable cam surface for engaging the roller 25. The jaws are shown in their open or unlocked position in Fig. 3b, wherein it will be understood that, through the operation of the interlocking spur teeth at the bottom of the jaws, a symmetrical opening of the jaws is achieved even though the bell crank 24 operates on one of the jaws only. Referring to Fig. 4, the chain I0 engages the major sprocket II and causes it to rotate at a rate of one revolution per second in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrows. The chain comprises a series of links 30' and rollers 31 joined together in conventional fashion.

The".

Item be understood that'other known types of articulated conveyors may be used instead of that which has been illustrated. 'Mounted on the chain In and spaced in such fashion that, during the period of wrap'of the chain around the sprocket, they assume 30 intervals,.are the base holders 2!]. I

The chain is eifectively "wrappedaround'the sprocket ll from the position indicated at 90' came drawing to the270 position. During the intervalof time consumed by any one particular base holder in revolving'throughthis angular displacement, such base holder has an angular velocity identical to that'ofthe sprocket so that it is to all intents'and purposes fixed with .respect to the sprocket.

As maybe seen in Fig.-5, the sprocket wheel H supported by means of ball bearings 33 on a'shaft 34 locked to a bed plate or frame35 supporting the whole mechanism. The sprocket H -carries at 30 intervals twelve identical injection units indicated generally at 36 and 36', whose'function is to insert the product, in this case the ba'ses,-into the base holders. Located immediately above the injection units, are the corresponding metering units 31 and 31', likewise twelve in number, one for each injection unit. The metering units are attached to the radial spokes 38 of a spider 39 which is mounted upon the hub-4l of the sprocket and locked to it 'by means of the set screw 42. The spider 39 thus revolves with the sprocket and it is additionally supported by the upper ball bearings 43 mounted on the fixed stud 44. Leading radially upwards andinwards from themetering units towards the axis of the spider 39, are twelve V-shaped slides 45 constituting generally the alignment units. Located above the sprocket II and the spider 39 isa loading unit indicated generally at 46.

*For purposes ofdescription, the feeding mechanism can be divided into four separate units under the following headings which will be considered consecutively:

l. The loading unit The purpose of the loading unit is to transfer the bases without damaging them, from a stationary overhead reservoir to the revolving V-shaped slides or alignment units 45 having a sizabl angular velocity. The main components of the loading unit are the overhead hopper 41, the connecting pipe 48 containing an adjustable gate and a rubber rotor 5|, and a distributing cup 52 containing twelve flanged or conical openings 53, one for each of the alignment units 45. The overhead hopper 41 may either store the bases in a quantity suflicient for a definite production period, or may be continuously supplied with b'ases by means of a separate conveyor system. Th bases are gravity fed into the connecting pipe 48 and the rate at which they feed throughthe pipe to the rotor may be regulated by means of the adjustable gate 49. It will, of course, be understood that the overhead hopper and adjustable gate which have been described are a rather elementary system for feeding bases and other more refined systems are available which make use of vibrating feed troughs. The rubber rotor 5| has four blades mounted'on a spindle '54 which has "a pulley '55 fixed to its upper end. 'The'pulley 551s driven by a. flexible V-belt 56 passing around a second pulley 51 fixed to a spindle 58 mounted on the' hub of the distributing cup 52. The spindle 58 is made fast to the hub of the distributing cup 52 by aset screw 59, and the distributing cup, in turn, is made fast to the hub of the spider 39 byaset screw 6|. The spider'39, the distributing cup 52, and the pulley 51 thus all revolve with the sprocket H. The rubber rotor 5| revolves at three times the angular velocity of the sprocket, and, being provided with four blades, it will sweep twelve bases into the distributing cup for each revolution of the sprocket.

The distributing cup 52 is a thick disc having twelve conical or funnel-shaped openings 53 through its body, as previously mentioned. These openings are positioned immediately above the slides ofthe corresponding alignment units 45. The bases are swept into the distributing cup in a haphazard fashion by the rotor 5| and distribute themselves at random among the twelve openings in accordance with the law of averages. Although for one single revolution of the sprocket it cannot be expected that each alignment unit will receive a single base from its corresponding opening in the distributing cup, over a number of revolutions each alignment unit will receivethe same total number of bases. In addition, the adjustable gat 49 provides a means for regulating thetotal flow of bases into the distributing cup and achieving a .suitable distribution into the alignment units.

The alignment unit The alignment units consist essentially of the twelve V-shaped slides 45,'one of which isshown in sectional elevation and in cross section in Figs. 6a and 6b respectively. The upper ends 01' the slides are located directly below thecorresponding openings in the distributing cup 52 and the lower openings abut against the respective metering units 31. As may be seen in Fig. v4, the V-shaped slides extend radially outward to the alignment. units in the fashion of spokes of a wheel. The purpose'of the alignment units is to orient the bases into a definite predetermined arrangement for feeding to the injector units by the metering units. The V+shaped slide isvery simple in design yet providesa positive orientation to the bases. The positive orientation results from the fact that the base has a center of gravity located nearer to its closed end, that is, to the end provided with the eyelet 6 mounted in the plastic web, as seen in Fig. 1. When the base moves down the inclined slide, the friction encountered in bearing against the walls of the V tends to retard the heavy endof the base more than the light end, so that the base has a tendency to tumble or spin until the lighter or open end is pointing downwards. By suitable choice of the slide material, or more accurately of the coefficient of friction of the slide surface, and with the proper angle of the V and inclination of the slide as a whole, the base will orient itself after-a very short travel. All the bases'react to the V-shaped slide in the same fashion; namely, all enter the metering units with the open ends of the bases first or facing downwards.

One of'the main advantages of a V-shaped slide as an alignment unit is the simplicity of interchangeability. Different sizes of bases may be accommodated. by providing slides having a suitable angle in the V. Also the same V-shaped 7 slidesmay be used for bases of slightly different sizes, in which case the larger bases ride higher in the V whereas the smaller ones ride lower. The centrifugal force resulting from the angular velocity of the slides will have little effeet on the bases riding down the slides, because it is relatively small. In practice, the slides are adjusted so as to just hold the bases without sliding. when the machine is stopped. Thereafter as soon as the sprocket begins to revolve, the additional centrifugal force will be just sufficient to cause the bases to slide. It will be understood that the distributing cup 52 deposits only one base at a time on any one slide by reason of the fact that the revolving rubber rotor permits only one base to be fed through at a time.

The metering unit The mechanism comprises twelve metering units indicated generally at 31 and 3'! in Figs. 4 and 5. Each comprises a vertical feed tube '62 aflixed to the outer end of the radial spoke 3B projecting from the hub of the spider 39. The upper end of the tube is cut away on the side corresponding to the lower end of the inclined slide 34, and the lower end is located directly over the associated injecting unit 36. Mounted "on the outer side of the tube 62 is a vertical lever 63 hinged to the tube at 64 and spring loaded so as to be pivoted outwards by means of a helical spring 65. The lever 63 carries at its lower extremity a transverse arm 66, on the outer end of which is mounted a roller 61 which is adapted to bear against a cam track or surface 66 for actuating the lever. The cam track 68 encircles the periphery of the sprocket from substantially 300 through 0 to 60 as seen in Fig. 4. The transverse arm 66 has an annular portion encircling the tube 62 and carrying at its inner end a pin 69 which projects inwardly into the tube 62 when the lever 63 is unactuated and prevents the bases I from falling through the tube. In addition the lever 63 carries a spring loaded plunger H which is adapted to penetrate into the tube 62 for engaging the next base above the lowest one held in the tube. Thus, as soon as the lever 63 is actuated by reason of the roller 61 engaging the cam track 68, the lower pin 69 is drawn out from the tube and the lowest base is released while the upper plunger ll enters the tube and prevents the next base above the lowest one from falling through. The metering unit may be seen in its unactuated position at 31 on the right hand side of the mechanism in Fig. 5, and in its actuated position at 3'! on the left hand side of the mechanism. The metering unit thus permits only one .base fall through onto the injecting unit during one revolution of the sprocket I2.

The injecting unit The function of the injecting unit is to convey the product, in this case the lamp base I, from the metering unit 3'] to the base holder 20 carried around the sprocket on the chain. It comprises amember adapted o re iv th pro t in one position and to insert it into the holder in another position. For handling the base i, the member is a finger type prong 12 having an outer diameter slightly under the inside diameter of the base. The prong 12 is spring pivoted on the end of a radially reciprocable push rod I3 which carries at its inner end a roller 14 adapted to engage a stationary harmonic cam 15 located in a hollow portion of the hub of the sprocket H. The harmonic cam is made'fast to the shaft 34 by the upper locking nut 16 so that it is held fixed with respect to the bed plate 36.

Twelve finger prongs are carried on identical radial rods at 30 intervals around the periphery of the sprocket II. An endless coiled helical spring H holds the rollers 14 tight against the surface of the cam 15.

The base I is dropped onto the prong, by the metering unit 31, with its open end down so that it fits over the prong in its upright position. As the sprocket rotates from the to the position, as shown in Fig. 4, the stationary harmonic cam forces the push rod forward until the finger prong is outwardly advanced and tripped into the horizontal or reclined position by a roller cam 18, as seen on the right-hand side of Fig. 5. During the tripping operation of the finger prong, the bases are prevented from falling off the prongs by a curved spring blade 19 supported on the metering unit 31, which blade forcibly holds the base on the prong. The push rod and the finger prong then continue to move forward until, at the 180 position, the base is completely within the base holder 20. The jaws of the base holder have previously been opened by the cam track I!) encircling the sprocket up to the 180 position. The cam track ends at this position, so that the base holder jaws close on the base and lock it in position. As the sprocket continues to revolve, the push rod is retracted radially inward by reason of the shape of the harmonic cam and the tension of the spring 11, so that the finger prong is removed from the base and pivoted up to the loading position, ready for the next opera tion.

It will be understood that although the invention has been described in considerable detail as to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings, various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. Moreover, whereas the invention has been described in connection with a machine for inserting cement into lamp bases, it is not restricted thereto and may be used for feeding bases or similar products into suitable holders carried on a roller chain at a constant uninterrupted velocity, irrespectively of the nature of the operations to be subsequently performed upon the product. The ap ended claims are therefore intended to cover any such modifications coming within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A mechanism for feeding cylindrical articles to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals unit fast to said sprocket and supported over said metering unit for feeding said articles in fixed orientation to said metering unit, and means for feeding said articles at a controlled rate to said alignment unit.

2. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical articles to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on an articulated conveyor adapted to accuse ing unit per revolution, of said sprocket, an:align-- ment unit. supported fromzand revolving with said sprocket for feeding said articlesin fixedorientation to said .metering'unit, and means for feeding said articles at a controlled rate from-a reservoir to; said revolving alignment unit.

73. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical articles, to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on an' articulated conveyor. adapted to comprising a sprocket adapted to engage andrevolvewith said conveyor" move uninterruptedly,

overia predetermined angle of wrap, thereby assuringzero relative motion between them during said angle, an injecting unit fast to said sprocket andpositionedfor cooperating with one of said holdersduring successive ones of said angles, said= injecting unit: comprising a radially reciprocable push rod. and a pivotable member onthe outer end thereof adapted to receivesaidarticle in an upright-position. and to insert it into the cooperatingg holder in a substantially horizontal position, a. stationary, cam located for actuating said push-rodduring a revolution of said sprocket and effecting the pivoting of saidmember, a metering unitsupported from said sprocket over said injecting unit and adapted to release one-article to said member per'revolution of said sprocket; an alignment unit supported from and revolving With said sprocket for feeding said articles in fixed orientation to said metering; unit, and

means for feeding said articles at a controlled rat from a reservoir to said revolving alignment um 4. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical articles having one end lighter than the other to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on an articulated conveyor adapted to move uninterruptedly, comprising a sprocket adapted to engageand revolve with said conveyor over a predetermined angle of wrap, thereby assuring zero relative motion between them during said anglewa plurality of injecting units mounted on said sprocket-and spaced'for alignment with-sum cessive holders over said angle; each of said-injecting units comprising a radially reciprocable push rod and a pivotable member on the outer end thereof adapted to receive said article in an upright position and to insert it into a cooperating holder in a substantially horizontal position, a stationary cam located for actuating said push rods during a revolution of said sprocket and eifecting the pivoting of said members, a plurality of product metering units supported from said sprocket over said injecting units, each of said metering units being adapted to release one article to said member of its associated injecting unit per revolution of said sprocket, a plurality of revolving alignment units supported from said sprocket for feeding said articles lighter end down to said meterin units, each of said alignment units including a V-shaped slide inclined radially downwards from the axis of said sprocket to the associated metering unit, and means for feeding said artlclestat a controlled'ratei from a reservoir to the axial ends of saidislides.

5. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical lamp bases to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on a rollerichainadapted to move at constant uninterrupted velocity, comprising a sprocket adapted to engage said chain over a predetermined. angle of wrap, a cam-actuated injectingunit'mounted on said sprocket and comprising means receiving said bases inan upright position and delivering them in a substantially horizontal position to said holders during successive ones'of said angles, a basemetering unit supported from said: sprocket over said injecting unit and adapted to release one base; to said injecting unit'- per" revolution of said sprocket, an' alignment unit supported from: and revolving with said: sprocket for feeding said. bases in; fixedorientation to said mete-ring unit, and means for feeding said bases at controlledrateto'said revolving. alignment unit.

6. A mechanism for'feeding hollow cylindrical: lamp basesttoholders therefor mounted at equal intervals on a roller chain adapted to move at constant uninterrupted velocity, comprising; a sprocket adapted toengage said chain over a' predetermined angle of wrap, an injecting unitmounted on" said. sprocket and positioned for alignment with one of said holders during successive ones of said angles, saidinjecting unitcomprising a radially reciprocable pushrod and a pivotable finger prong mounted on theouter end thereof'and adapted-to receive a base. while pivoted into an upright position. and to: insert I it into a cooperating, holder while pivoted into-a reclined outwardly advanced position, astationary'cam located for actuating said push rodduring-a revolution-of said sprocket, thereby to oper-- ate said finger prong from said upright to saidreclined position, a base'metering unit supportedfrom said sprocket over said injecting unit and adapted to: release one base to said prong for each operation thereof. into its upright position,. an alignment unit supported from andrevolving, with said sprocket forfeeding said bases in fixed orientation tosaid metering unit, and means for feeding said bases at a controlled rate to said revolving alignment unit.

7. A mechanismfor feeding hollow cylindrical lamp bases to" holders thereformounted at I equal:

intervals on a roller chain adapted; to move at constant uninterrupted velocity, comprising a sprocket adapted to engage said chain over a predetermined angle of wrap, a plurality of inj'ecting unitsamorunted on said-sprocket and'spaced forrali'gn'mentwith successive ones of said'holders over said angles, each of said injecting units comprising a radially reciprocable push rod and a pivotable finger prong mounted on the outer end thereof and adapted to receive a base While pivoted into an upright position and to insert it into a cooperating holder while pivoted into a reclined outwardly advanced position, a stationary cam located for reciprocating said push rods during a revolution of said sprocket, thereby to actuate said prongs from their upright to their reclined position, a plurality of base metering units supported from said sprocket over respective ones of said injecting units, each of said metering units being adapted to release one base to the prong of its associated injecting unit for each actutaion thereof into its upright position, a plurality of revolving alignment units supported from said sprocket for feeding said bases in fixed orientation to said metering units, and

means for feeding said bases at a controlled rate to said revolving alignment units. I

8. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical lamp bases having one end lighter than the other to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on a roller chain adapted to move at constant uninterrupted velocity, comprising a sprocket adapted to engage said chain over a predetermined angle of wrap, a plurality of injecting units mounted on said sprocket and spaced for alignment with successive ones of said holders over said angles, each of said injecting units comprising a radially reciprocable push rod and a pivotable finger prong mounted on the outer end thereof and adapted to receive a base while pivoted into an upright position and to insert it into a cooperating holder while pivoted into a reclined outwardly advanced position, a stationary cam located for reciprocating said push rods during a revolution of said sprocket, thereby to actuate said prongs from their upright to their reclined position, a plurality of base metering units supported from said sprocket over respective ones of said injecting units, each of saidmetering units being adapted to release one base to the prong of its associated injecting unit for each actuation thereof into its upright position, a plurality of revolving alignment units supported from said sprocket for feeding said bases in fixed orientation to said metering units, each of said alignment units including a V-shaped slide inclined radially from the axis of said sprocket to a cooperating metering unit for feeding said bases lighter end down, and means for feeding said bases at a controlled rate to the axial ends of said slides.

9. A mechanism for feeding hollow cylindrical lamp bases having one end lighter than the other to holders therefor mounted at equal intervals on a roller chain adapted to move at constant uninterrupted velocity, comprising a sprocket adapted to engage said chain over a predetermined angle of wrap, a plurality of injecting units mounted on said sprocket and spaced for alignment with successive ones of said holders over said angles, each of said injecting units comprising a radially reciprocable push rod and a pivotable finger prong mounted on the outer end thereof and adapted to receive a base while pivoted into an upright position and to insert it into a cooperating holder while pivoted into a reclined outwardly advanced position, a stationary cam located for reciprocating said push rods during a revolution of said sprocket, thereby to actuate said prongs from their upright to their reclined position, a plurality of base metering units supported from said sprocket over respective ones of said injecting units, each of said metering units being adapted to release one base to the prong of its associated injecting unit for each 'actu-' ation thereof into its upright position, a plurality of revolving alignment units supported from said sprocket for feeding said bases in fixed orientation to said metering units, each of said alignment units including a V-shaped slide inclined radially downwards from the axis of said sprocket to a cooperating metering unit for feeding said bases lighter end down, a revolving distributing cup fast to said sprocket and having vertical openings therethrough adapted to distribute bases at random to the axial ends of said slides, and means for feeding said bases at a controlled rate from a reservoir to said cup.

10. A mechanism for inserting hollow cylindrical lamp bases having one end lighter than the other into holders carried at constant uninterrupted velocity on a chain, comprising a sprocket adapted to engage said chain over a predetermined angle of wrap, a channel, means for feeding said bases one at a time into said channel,

a distributing cup located below said channel and adapted to rotate with said sprocket, said distributing cup having a plurality of openings therethrough each adapted to receive said bases at random but in equal numbers when averaged over a period of time, a plurality of alignment units each comprising an inclined V-shaped slide supported from said sprocket with its upper end located below an opening in said distributing cup and feeding said bases lighter end down, a plurality of metering units supported from said sprocket at the outer ends of said V-shaped slides, said metering units comprising a tube for accumulating a reserve of said bases, and means for allowing one of said bases to fall through during one revolution of said sprocket, and a plurality of injector units mounted on said sprocket and each comprising pivotable means receiving said bases in an upright position and delivering them in a substantially horizontal position to said holders during successive ones of said angles.

JAMES BAIN. J R.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 699,244 Rubin May 6, 1902 1,461,222 Myers July 10, 1923: 2,378,579 Popov June 19, 1945 2,466,228 Glenn et al Apr. 5, 1949 2,570,903 Yost Oct. 9, 1951 

